Petaling Street

Today a "Green Dragon" covers Petaling Street.

Petaling Street (Malay: Jalan Petaling, Simplified Chinese: 茨厂街, Traditional Chinese: 茨廠街, pinyin: Cíchǎng Jiē, Cantonese: Chee Cheong Kai) is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is infamous for pirated clothes and accessories along with bootleg DVDs and CDs.^{[citation needed]} Petaling Street however does not exclusively offer pirated products. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.

The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favourites such as Hokkien mee, ikan bakar (barbecued fish), asam laksa and curry noodles. Traders here are mainly Chinese but there are also Indian, Malay, and Bangladeshi traders.

History and development

The original Chinatown centred on Market Square. Jalan Tun H.S. Lee or High Street, became increasingly popular as it was higher than the rest of the town and therefore less prone to floods. The wealthier and more ornate shop houses were built north of Jalan Cheng Lock, closer to the business centre.

Kuala Lumpur was a typical "pioneer" town at the turn of the century, filled with a rough and tough population that was largely male.

They were largely Cantonese and Hakkas who came to the city because of the tin trade, working as coolies in the mines. They were governed by a Chinese Kapitan or headman. The most famous Chinese Kapitan is Yap Ah Loy, a Hakka.

Traffic jam leading to Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown on Petaling Street.

In 1870, civil war erupted with the Chinese community being split along partisan lines into the Hokkien Ghee Hin and the Hakka Hai San secret societies. The British were called in to help end the strife but many of the buildings in the settlement were burnt down or severely damaged.

During the Selangor Civil War, the tin mines were abandoned and when the miners returned after the war, they found that the mines were flooded and therefore could not work. Yap Ah Loy persuaded the miners and coolies to remain in KL and the Malays in surrounding districts to grow rice and other garden products. He opened a Tapioca Mill in Petaling Street where the tubers from his farms were brought here to be ground into flour. Petaling Street is still fondly called ‘Chee Cheong Kai’ in Cantonese which means starch factory street.

Features

A room of budget hotel in Petaling Street

There is a McDonalds on the 1st shop lot of Petaling Street. Located inside Petaling Street is a 3-star Business Class and Hostel like: Hotel Malaya and Swiss Inn Hotel, and no frills hotel, Stayorange Hotel. Also near there is a Chinese bookshop and a few stalls selling Hainanese chicken rice and Noodles. A small longan stall is also located there.

Nearby is Jamek Mosque, an old mosque of Moorish architecture while a tourist spot known as Central Market is within walking distance. Also nearby are the Pasar Seni LRT station of the Kelana Jaya Line and the Maharajalela Monorail station.

One of the most famous landmarks, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, is located along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee is KL's chinatown. It is one of KL's oldest and richest Hindu temples. It receives many devotees and tourists daily.

Development

In 2003, the road underwent a major RM11.3mil face lift with two large Chinese arches placed at both ends of the street to welcome visitors, and a roof cover was made covering the street, dubbed as the "Green Dragon". The street is closed to vehicular traffic since and became pedestrian-only, transforming it into a pedestrian shopping mall. It still pulls in many tourists, who go there to shop and will be regarded as a heritage site.

However, Petaling Street is still the best place to shop for counterfeit branded products and has large selection of local Chinese cuisine. For buyers, it is often possible to negotiate the price tag of an item such as watches, clothing and all counterfeit items. Petaling Street does not exclusively offer pirated products. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.

Film

Although not shot on site, Malaysia's first period kungfu comedy,Petaling Street Warriors, is set against the backdrop of Petaling Street in the year 1908.

Image gallery

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  Closeup view of the iconic "Green Dragon"

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  Rows of shop behind the Green Dragon

References

• Why early Chinese settlers chose the site, The Star, August 9, 2007.